The 2018 Tet Ao Dai trend is filled with Ao Dai combined with flared skirts.

Every time Tet comes, the Ao Dai market is bustling with many designs for sale, from traditional to modern. It is not easy to summarize a few of the hottest trends because if you go around the shops, you will see a variety of colorful costumes.

In addition, each designer also offers a separate Tet collection based on individual inspiration.

"Fever" of Ao Dai with brick pattern

The most prominent of the 2018 Tet season is probably the "Co Ba Sai Gon" ao dai. After the success of this movie, the nostalgic style of the 1960s and 1970s has made a comeback.

Many designers, brands and fashion shops have simultaneously launched Ao Dai designs with colorful, eye-catching patterns that are suitable for the Tet atmosphere.

Still the traditional ao dai shape, the waist is tightened to flatter the figure, the special point is the rich patterns such as the mosaic tiles in Indochina architecture, large and small polka dots, tiny patterns... Ao dai combined with a matching headband gives the wearer a noble and elegant look, evoking memories of the old Tet days.

Many shops also use Ao Dai for girls or sell sets for mothers and children. Many women also rent Ao Dai to take Tet photos.

Talking about the trend of tile-patterned ao dai, designer Nhat Dung expressed: "The old-fashioned ao dai are gradually returning to the style of previous decades. The square door pattern, ceramic tiles, and bright main colors have created a cheerful spring atmosphere."

The designer from Quang Binh shared that he personally chose velvet as the main material to create elegant traditional ao dai designs. Velvet is a difficult material but has been quite popular recently.

Although not following the trend of Ao Dai Co Ba, Miss Ngoc Han, who has been wearing Ao Dai for many years, commented: "Ao Dai with brick pattern is the hot trend of 2018, chosen by many women. In addition, this year's Ao Dai tends to have a modern design, loose and loose, not too tight at the waist to create comfort for the wearer, with cheerful and lively patterns."

Ms. Phuong Anh (25 years old, Hanoi), one of the customers who loves the brick-patterned ao dai, confided: "After the controversy about the ao dai worn with dresses, I find the classic ao dai trend this year even more meaningful. It's even more special when it becomes a trend."

In addition to ceramic tile and polka dot patterns, the motifs that are still widely used during the New Year are chrysanthemums, apricot blossoms, peach blossoms, dragonflies, cranes, swallows, butterflies, peacocks...

Depending on the material and brand, Tet ao dai has a variety of prices, ranging from a few hundred thousand to millions of dong. Normally, costumes in shops for young people or online shops cost about 200-500 thousand dong. To own a set of ao dai designed by a brand or designer, you will have to spend about 2-5 million dong.

Ao dai from more famous designers will cost around 10 million VND. Of course, this product is not usually for the majority.

Young people still prefer modernized ao dai

Although there are still many controversies, the modernized ao dai is indispensable during Tet because of its convenience and ease of application in daily life. Some modern designs that have appeared on the market recently include ao dai combined with straight-leg pants, culottes, flared skirts (also known as dup skirts) and tulle skirts.

The modernized shirts are often cut above the knee, while the skirts are mostly longer than the knee, not too short like some offensive images in 2017.

Sharing her preference for wearing ao dai on Tet, Thu Trang (20 years old, Tuyen Quang) confided: "I like modern ao dai because of its rich designs and ease of movement. I choose to wear ao dai with straight pants because it still has elegance and is not too far from traditional values."

Quynh Nhu, 23 years old, expressed her opinion that not all modern ao dai are offensive: "I prioritize comfortable clothes that are easy to move in, as long as they are not revealing or revealing."

Young designer Nguyen Thao, who grew up on Project Runway Vietnam, shared that this year she introduced many designs of ao dai combined with skirts and straight pants. According to her, these modern outfits can still be called "ao dai".

"I still keep many of the typical features of the traditional ao dai, such as the raglan shoulder and tight round collar. The only change is that it is worn with a skirt for convenience, helping girls feel more confident when walking around town or going out," said Nguyen Thao.

In addition, inspired by the ao dai, some brands and fashion stores also launched sexy style outfits such as see-through fabric, high slits, and cut-outs.

When asked whether slit-cut outfits are appropriate, a brand representative affirmed that the slits have been carefully calculated to ensure uniqueness and modernity while still maintaining the elegance of the Vietnamese ao dai.